Hurricane Ian cut channels into Sanibel Island but tore through nearby Lovers Key, leaving two neighboring islands damaged in very different ways.
Florida Gulf Coast University researchers are investigating why nearby barrier islands can respond differently to the same storm. The goal is to give those communities a blueprint for which types of hurricane protection will work best in each place.
The four-year project covers Sanibel, Bunche Beach Preserve, Fort Myers Beach, Lovers Key State Park, Barefoot Beach Preserve, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples and Rookery Bay.
Researchers are testing ways to reduce flooding and beach erosion, such as hauling in new sand for the shoreline, building up the dune system, and anchoring it in place with deep-rooted plants.
They will compare those approaches with doing nothing.
Researchers will also examine how roads, parking lots and other hard surfaces affect the way water and sand move across the islands during storms.
“Areas vulnerable to short- and long-term flooding and erosion will be better understood with improved ability to decide appropriate management actions,” NOAA’s Trevor Meckley wrote in a project briefing. “The results of this project will better describe coastal change areas with areas in need of protection.”
The work builds on FGCU research after Ian that found storm water draining back to the Gulf cut narrow channels across Sanibel Island. Ian severed the northern end of Lovers Key from the rest of the island.
Christopher Daly, an assistant professor of coastal geomorphology in FGCU’s Water School, is leading the project. Michael Savarese and Jeannine Richards of FGCU are working with U.S. Geological Survey scientists.
The study began this month and is expected to continue through September 2030.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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